who invented the guillotine

The guillotine was named after Doctor Joseph Ignace Guillotin, a French physician who proposed the use of a device for more humane executions in 1789. However, Guillotin did not actually invent the machine. The actual prototype was designed and built by French surgeon and physiologist Antoine Louis and German engineer Tobias Schmidt. The device was first used in 1792 in France and became known as the guillotine, although it was initially called the louisette or louison after Antoine Louis. Joseph Guillotin was an advocate for a more equal and less painful method of execution, aiming to replace previous cruel methods. The machine, which efficiently decapitates its victim, was inspired by earlier similar devices used in other parts of Europe. Despite the association of Guillotin's name with the device, he actually opposed the death penalty and was horrified to have his name attached to the execution machine.